Gillespie Grapevine: Living on the Edge

By Melissa C. Gillespie

Aquaview pool enclosures

Photo courtesy of Aquaview Fencing

WestEdge Design Fair features an exciting collection of leading and emerging domestic and international brands. Catering to consumers and the trade, the Santa Monica, Calif., event offers the best in contemporary home design. Here are some of our favorites from the 2014 showcase:

A simple way to refresh any interior is with a new coat of paint, but we love the wonderful designs of Black Crow Studios, a custom wallpaper company that pushes the traditional idea of wallpaper into the realm of art. Choose from one of the collection’s existing patterns or create a custom design exclusively for your ocean home. blackcrowstudios.com.

Also pushing the envelope in wallpaper is Caba Company with its distinctive Barkskin wall coverings, a hand-pounded natural bark material that adds texture and flair to any wall. A standout in the collection is the Spiderweb Woven line, stunningly beautiful and tactile. barkskin.com.

Who says appliances aren’t exciting? The ever- inventive Smeg showcased a colorful display of fun and trendsetting 50’s Style retro refrigerators, available in 10 color tones from subtle cream to a vibrant green – a cool conversation piece in any ocean home. smegusa.com.

New this year, and a real standout, was the BOTART International Barrel Art Exhibition featuring 14 artists commissioned to create unique pieces of contemporary barrel art in their signature styles. The exhibits will form part of the world’s barrel art collection, currently comprising 90 painted barrels, commissioned by the 300-year-old Can Ribas Winery in Mallorca, Spain. The result was a true feast for the eyes. botart.org.

Oceanscapes by National Pool Tile and Oceanside Glasstile

Taking the design focus outside, two new outdoor living product lines inspired us at the Master Pools Guild fall meeting: National Pool Tile and Oceanside Glasstile have collaborated to create two striking new pool tiles. The Aquascapes mosaic collection in beautiful blues encompasses two different finishes – iridescent and non-iridescent – to transform the glass tile into a work of art. Paired with Oceanscapes glass tile and its precise smooth-finish edges, they create the ideal combination for stylish pool installations. nptglasstile.com.

With this much attention to detail to your tile design, you don’t want to obstruct its view. Aquaview caught our attention with its frameless glass enclosures – a modern alternative to wood, aluminum and mesh fencing – providing an uninterrupted panorama to pool and outdoor landscapes. aquaviewfencing.com.